In common Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera design, a camera capable of tilt motion is positioned on a pan platform. To achieve 360 degree pan motion, a slip ring may be employed; however the slip ring may be relatively expensive and may be prone to failure. To help protect the PTZ camera, a spherical bubble may be employed; however the spherical bubble may potentially impact image quality.
Outside of the field of PTZ cameras, some efforts have been made to commercialize robotic arms with cameras attached to these arms. One example of this is the Snake-arm Robot™ sold by OC Robotics of Bristol, UK.